Clipmarks | taksmaster's clips

The Boy With The Incredible Brain

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 03:54:40 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

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This is the breathtaking story of Daniel Tammet. A twenty-something with extraordinary mental abilities, Daniel is one of the world’s few ... all » savants. He can do calculations to 100 decimal places in his head, and learn a language in a week. This documentary follows Daniel as he travels to America to meet the scientists who are convinced he may hold the key to unlocking similar abilities in everyone. He also meets the world’s most famous savant, the man who inspired Dustin Hoffman’s character in the Oscar winning film ‘Rain Man’. (2005) «

Tags: pi, savant, autism, neuroscience

Thunderbolts of the Gods - Plasma Cosmology

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 04:21:19 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster
clipper's remarks: A lesser known theory of cosmology that challenges the the big bang theory.

Clip Source: video.google.com

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Tags: big bang, astronomy, cosmology, physics, science

Human 2.0 - Creating Gods

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:12:29 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster
clipper's remarks: Documentary about the upcoming technological singularity.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

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Tags: science, technology, future, neuroscience, transhumanism, artificial intelligence, singularity, quantum mechanics

Adopt a Clitoris

Wed, 23 May 2007 13:05:14 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

Clip Source: www.clitoraid.org.

The goal of Clitoraid’s “Adopt a Clitoris” program is to create real, long lasting changes for women who have been forced to experience clitoral excision or genital mutilation against their will. To rebuild the female clitoris, a local anesthetic is applied so no pain is experienced when the surgeon uncovers the root of the original clitoris left after the excision. This root and tissues will become the new clitoris. The procedure takes 6 weeks for a woman to completely heal, with sexual pleasure and genetic normality being the end result.

Clip Source: www.clitoraid.org.

It is a crime against humanity that today, in this so called enlightened 21st century, women in under-developed countries are subjected by force to participate in the sex trades, are denied common freedoms as we know and enjoy in the west, and in certain cultures, are slaves to barbaric practices such as clitoral mutilation in the name of religion and, moreover, male dominance. We can all help.

Tags: africa, women, sex, clitoris, clitoraid, feminism

Why Do Racists Have Low IQs?

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:19:02 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

Clip Source: www.clubs.psu.edu

Studies going back over 50 years have repeatedly arrived at the same conclusion -- racists have lower IQs than non-racists. The average intelligence quotient (IQ) of all members of the human race is 100 on the Stanford-Binet scale, as illustrated in the bell curves in the figure below. The average IQ of racists is up to 4 IQ points less than this (Montagu 1952 & 1988, Allport 1946, Frenkel-Brunswick and Sanford 1945). The reasons this is true are not entirely clear. Does racism attract the unintelligent or do the unintelligent default into racist mentalities? An exploration of this phenomenon can be most informative.

Tags: racism, intelligence

The Future is Female

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:25:28 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

We have had the industrial age, we have had the information economy.

But now for something different: "the care economy", predicts BT's Ian Pearson.

And, says Mr Pearson assuredly, women - not men - are best suited for this shift.

After years of so called soft skills - such as communication - being sidelined, they will now play centre-stage.

"People will have to focus on being people, using their emotional skills," asserts Mr Pearson - with male confidence.

And, he insists, women are instinctively good at this.

Mr Pearson describes himself as "an engineer making logical deductions for tomorrow, based on things we can already see happening."

"Physical jobs have been done by machines," he says, matter-of-factly.

Although men do work in roles requiring such interpersonal skills, they are dominated by women.

"The future is female - and these changes are closer than many realize," says Mr Pearson.

Tags: women, future, society

Is your anti-virus software working? Here's how to test it.

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:54:45 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster
clipper's remarks: Mine works.

Clip Source: www.gamerenders.com

Creating a test virus

Have you ever wondered if your anti-virus software is really working? Would you like to see what happens when it detects a virus? Here's a safe way to test your computer's virus protection that doesn't require you to have a real virus.

First, open Notepad. Then copy and paste into it the text on the line below. (It should all be on one line.)

X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

Then select File, Save, select All Files for the file type, then save the file as eicar.com. The result should look exactly like the screenshot below:

(IMG:http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/7906/eicariv4.gif)

Your anti-virus software may prevent you from saving the file as eicar.com, which is a sign that it is working effectively. If it doesn't raise an alert, try scanning the folder where you saved eicar.com. To see what happens if you try to run a file containing a virus, double-click eicar.com to open it.

Explanation

Tags: computer, computers, software, antivirus

"Muslims need more sex"

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:22:27 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

Clip Source: edition.cnn.com

CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- Dr. Heba Kotb is tackling a taboo in the Arab world unlike anyone else: She's talking about sex openly on a show broadcast all over the Middle East.

"We talk about masturbation ... sex over the Internet. We talk about sex and Ramadan. We talk about the wedding night," said Kotb. Entitled "The Big Talk," the show is broadcast once a week over a satellite channel from Cairo, Egypt.

It took the 39-year-old mother three years of negotiations to get her show on the air. And a main reason she succeeded is that she talks only about sex allowed in the Quran -- sex between husband and wife.

And for the men she has some blunt advice: "You have to have foreplay with your wife and you have to have sex with her frequently, not just when you want to."

she started researching while wondering why her part of the world was so averse to talking about sex. It was something Kotb wanted to change and she found a way in the Quran: a passage that discusses sex between husband and wife.

Tags: islam, muslims, sex, health

10 years to the Singularity?

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:06:37 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster
clipper's remarks: The creation of a superhumanly intelligent AI system could be possible within 10 years, with an "AI Manhattan Project," says Ben Goertzel.

Clip Source: www.kurzweilai.net

As a result of the specifics of my AI research, I have come to a position somewhat more radical than that of most Singularity pundits. Kurzweil estimates 2045 for the Singularity, and 2029 for human-level AI via a brain emulation methodology. I think this is basically a plausible scenario (Though I do think that, if a human-level AI takes 16 years to create a Singularity, this slow pace will be due to intentional forbearance and caution rather than technological obstacles. I believe that a human-level AI, once it exists, will be able to improve its intelligence at a rapid rate, making Singularity imminent within months or a few years at most). But I also think a much more optimistic scenario is plausible.

I believe that the creation of a superhumanly intelligent AI system is possible within 10 years, and maybe even within a lesser period of time (3-5 years).

Tags: science, technology, ai, artificial intelligence, singularity, goertzel, kurzweil, future

Animation: Anatomy of a Black Hole

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 03:25:18 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster
clipper's remarks: Cool flash animation describing black holes and how they are formed.

Clip Source: www.thinktechnologies.com

Tags: astronomy, cosmology, physics, space, science

Secrets to Longetivity

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 08:07:04 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

Clip Source: www.mercola.com

According to this fascinating video segment aired recently on Nova, only one in 10,000 of us will live to see 100. But scientists are working on finding ways to increase that number.

Researchers found cutting the food intake of just about any organism by up to 30-40 percent extended its life by as much as 60 percent.

Calorie restriction reduces insulin levels and triggers the production of sirtuins, which are produced as part of an intricate stress response that kicks an organism into survival mode (which beefs up DNA repair and prevents cells from dying).

Another variable that triggered the production of sirtuins and the longer lives of flies, worms and likely mice was increasing their intake of the antioxidant resveratrol.

Tags: aging, science, technology, medicine

Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116

Fri, 11 May 2007 18:30:29 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (pronounced /ˈalˌbin/) was a name intended for a Swedish child who was born in 1991.

Because the parents (Elizabeth Hallin and an unidentified father) failed to register a name by the boy's fifth birthday, a district court in Halmstad, southern Sweden, fined the parents 5,000 kronor (US$682 at the time). Responding to the fine, the parents submitted the 43-character name in May 1996, claiming that it was "a pregnant, expressionistic development that we see as an artistic creation." The parents suggested the name be understood in the spirit of 'pataphysics. The court rejected the name and upheld the fine.

The parents then tried to change the spelling of the name to A (also pronounced /ˈalˌbin/) instead. Once again, the court did not approve of the parents' ideas for naming because of a prohibition on one-letter naming.

Tags: wtf, weird, strange, odd, bizarre

40 joints legal for personal use

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 03:13:00 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster
clipper's remarks: "It's not a war on drugs. It's a war on personal freedom." -Bill Hicks

Clip Source: www.nzherald.co.nz

40 joints legal for personal use

Wednesday November 15, 2006

ROME - Italy's Government yesterday doubled the amount of cannabis people can possess without risking prosecution and announced a major overhaul of the laws on narcotics use.

Causing an outcry from the centre-right opposition, but joy from campaigners for drugs liberalisation, Health Minister Livia Turco said the maximum amount of marijuana to be considered for "personal use" would be doubled to 1g in terms of its active ingredient.

That would allow for possession of up to around 40 joints, the Health Ministry said.

"I intervened so thousands of young people don't have to go to jail or suffer a criminal proceeding for smoking a joint," said Turco, a member of the largest Government party, the Democrats of the Left.

- REUTERS

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Tags: drugs, marijuana, law, italy, government

Laughter is Contagious

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 06:15:06 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

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Tags: comedy, humor, humour, funny

YouTube video triggers FBI probe of L.A. arrest

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 01:29:35 GMT

clipped by: taksmaster

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

LOS ANGELES - An FBI investigation prompted by video footage of a man being punched repeatedly in the face by police has demonstrated anew the power of the Internet sensation of the year, YouTube.com.

In addition to being a monumental time-waster around the office, YouTube could also become a tool for keeping police honest, some say.

This week, a clip on the post-it-yourself video Web site triggered a police-brutality investigation by the FBI. The footage shows the Aug. 11 arrest of alleged gang member William Cardenas, 24. Two Los Angeles officers can be seen holding him down on a Hollywood street; one punches him several times in the face before they are able to handcuff him.

The Los Angeles Police Department is also investigating the officers’ conduct.

Police Chief William J. Bratton said he found the video to be “disturbing,” but stressed that the 20-second clip amounts to only a fraction of what transpired.

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that a Superior Court commissioner viewed the video nearly two months ago, heard the officers’ testimony, and concluded that their conduct was “more than reasonable” because Cardenas was resisting.

The YouTube effect
Cop Watch LA, a police watchdog group, posted the video on YouTube, said organizer Joaquin Cienfuegos. Cienfuegos said the video was shot by a neighbor of Cardenas with a cell phone camera. The neighbor gave it to Cardenas’ family, who then gave it to Cop Watch, according to Cienfuegos.

In recent months, videos posted on YouTube have rocked political campaigns, brought fame — or infamy — to previously unknown talents and cast unwanted attention on the gaffes of the famous. YouTube and similar video sites are also increasingly becoming repositories for videos that purport to detail wrongdoing by police.

Such amateur clips help cast a spotlight on police wrongdoing that could otherwise go unreported, said Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California.

Tags: police, youtube, fbi